Justine Pattison - Cakes, Cookies and Bread

Low-calorie recipes, cheats and
ideas for lighter treats

MY STORY

I struggled with my weight for years. After being a skinny child and teenager, I piled on the weight during my last years of school and went into my twenties feeling fat and frumpy. A career as a cookery writer and food stylist has helped me understand good food but because my kitchen is always overflowing with great things to eat, temptation is never far away. My weight yo-yoed for 20 years and at my heaviest I weighed more than 15 stone.

A few years ago, I worked on the hit TV series You Are What You Eat I put together those groaning tables of bad food. I also had the chance to work with the contributors on the show, guiding them through the dieting process and helping them discover a whole new way of eating and cooking. Having been overweight myself, I became passionate about helping people lose weight.

Since then, Ive worked as a food consultant on many of the weight-loss shows youve seen on TV, and written diet plans and recipes for best-selling books, newspapers and magazines. Im thrilled that thousands of people have successfully followed my way of cooking and lost weight.

This book, and the others in the Without the Calories series, are ideal for anyone who wants to lose weight while leading a normal life. Cooking my way will help you sustain a happy, healthy weight loss. Thats what its all about: you dont have to be stick thin, but you deserve to feel good about yourself. My Without the Calories recipes will help you reach your goal.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Cakes, Cookies and Breads are so tempting and delicious to eat, but can spell disaster when you are trying to lose weight. In this book, ive created recipes for a variety of treats that contain less fat and sugar than traditional recipes while at the same time keeping them as mouth-watering as possible. When it comes to bread, its more about the quantity rather than the ingredients so Ive kept a close eye on the serving size, and every recipe has been nutritionally calculated so you know exactly what your home-baked goodies contain.

Ive also reworked the ingredients and used lots of naturally sweet fruit and vegetables in place of high calorie ingredients, so youll find that many of the recipes contain more fibre and vitamins too. If you are used to eating sugary confections, the reduction in sweetness can take a little getting used to, but the less sugar you have, the less your body will crave it.

Im not going to make rash promises about how many pounds you will shed, but I do know that when it comes to losing weight, finding foods that give you pleasure and fit into your lifestyle are the key to success. When you eat well without obsessing over rapid weight loss, its easier to relax and lose what you need to comfortably and safely.

To help everyone enjoy these recipes, Ive used easy-to-find ingredients and given clear, simple cooking instructions. Theres also freezer information where appropriate, so you know which bakes you can store for another day.

If youre already following a diet plan, youll find additional nutritional information at the back of the book thatll help you work my recipes into your week. And, if youre stuck for inspiration and have a few pounds to lose, try my 123 Plan. It couldnt be easier.

USING THE 123 PLAN

If youre not following a diet regime at the moment and want a great kick-start, try my 123 Plan for a few weeks. Ive tried to make it really easy, and you dont need to do too much adding up. You will find over 500 recipes to choose from in my Without the Calories series. Just pick one recipe from any section to bring your daily intake to between 900 and 1,200 calories. Add an essential extra 300 calories a day and youll be on your way to a healthy, sustainable weight loss of between 23lbs a week.

The recipes in this book are designed to complement the recipes in the other books in the series, or they can be enjoyed as part of your own eating plan. Although they are lower in fat, sugar and calories than traditional recipes, its best that they arent eaten every day, but enjoyed every now and then as an extra if you are following the 123 Plan. Id recommend just once or twice a week for the cakes and cookies, but you can swap the flat breads for rice, pasta or potatoes with meals if you like.

For this reason, they have their own category within the series: Occasional Extras.

ONE
up to calories

TWO
300400 calories

THREE
400500 calories

* Occasional Extras

There are still recipes in this book that can be used as part of the 123 Plan, including muffins and pizza bakes, but the majority are delicious, alternative ways to enjoy your favourites. If you dont have time to bake, I have put together a list of popular snacks that can also be used as occasional extras (see ).

DONT RUSH IT

Weight tends to be gained over time, and losing it gradually will make the process easier and help give your body, especially your skin, time to adapt. Youre more likely to get into positive, enjoyable long-term cooking and eating habits this way too.

WHAT IS A CALORIE?

Put simply, a calorie is a unit of energy contained within food and drink which our bodies burn as fuel. Different foods contain varying amounts of calories and if more calories are consumed than the body needs, the excess will be stored as fat. To lose weight, we need to eat less or use more energy by increasing our activity and ideally both!

Ive provided the calorie content of a single serving of each dish. In my experience, most people will lose at least 2lb a week by consuming around 1,2001,500 calories a day, but its always best to check with your GP before you start a new regime. Everyone is different and, especially if you have several stones to lose, youll need some personalised advice. The calories contained in each recipe have been calculated as accurately as possible, but could vary a little depending on your ingredients.

A few wayward calories here and there wont make any difference to your overall weight loss, but if you have a couple of days eating more than 1,400 calories, try to eat closer to 1,100 for the next few days. Over a week, things will even out.

My recipes strike a balance between eating and cooking well and reducing calories, and Ive tried them all as part of my own way of enjoying food without putting on excess weight. Even if you dont need to lose weight, I hope you enjoy cooking from my books simply because you like the recipes.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

The serving sizes that Ive recommended form the basis of the nutritional information on , and if you eat any more, you may find losing weight takes longer. If youre cooking for anyone who doesnt need to watch their calorie intake, feel free to increase their servings, bearing in mind that too much sugar isnt good for anyone.